This invention relates to a method and apparatus for use in electromedical therapy. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for applying a therapeutic.electrical signal to regions of a user""s body. The therapeutic signal could be used for any type of therapy, including to relieve pain, to relieve stress, to apply electronic acupuncture and for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).
In the past, several types of methods and apparatuses to apply an electrical signal in electromedical therapy have been used. However, the prior art methods and apparatuses generally provide a small number of electrodes to which the therapeutic electrical signal can be applied. This limits the area of the user""s body to which the therapeutic signals can be applied at any one time. As a result, the duration of therapy and use of the apparatus by the user increase.
Furthermore, use of a small number of electrodes results in the electrical signal being applied to the same area for an extended period of time. This has been shown to create habituation effects. Habituation effects generally result from the body filtering out the therapeutic electrical signals being applied, thereby eliminating the positive effects of the therapeutic electrical signal. In addition, any benefit from the prior art device is usually limited to the time the therapeutic signals are applied, and does not provide any lingering effects.
Use of a small number of electrodes, such as in prior art devices, requires the prior art devices to be periodically moved over the user""s body. In fact, some prior art devices have electrodes which can rotate to facilitate movement over the user""s body. However, these prior art devices are generally difficult for users to use on themselves and require a therapist or assistant to apply the treatment. This is especially the case where the treatment is being applied to the user""s back, and particularly the lower back, which is not easily accessible by the user.
Furthermore, the prior art devices by and large generate an electrical signal which could itself harm the user and/or cause pain. This results from the electrical signal having characteristics that damage the skin surface and otherwise hurt the patient or cause the patient discomfort. While the beneficial effects of the electrical signal often outweigh the temporary discomfort of the patient, this discomfort sometimes causes patients not to use the prior art electromedical apparatuses, or not use them as frequently as required in order to provide effective long-term therapy.
Accordingly, the prior art devices suffer from several disadvantages. One of these disadvantages include that the prior art devices generally only apply the electrical signal to a small region of the body at one time. Another disadvantage is that the prior art devices often require an assistant to apply the therapy. Another disadvantage is that the therapeutic effects of the prior art devices are limited by the corresponding habituative effects caused by the patient""s own body. A further disadvantage is that the electrical signals applied by the prior art devices often cause pain, burns and/or other discomfort to the patient because of the nature and the shape of the electrical signal being applied. A still further disadvantage of the prior art devices is that their beneficial effects are limited to the duration of the procedure, and do not provide any lingering beneficial effects which continue after the procedure is completed.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to at least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. Also, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for providing therapeutic electrical signals.
Accordingly, in one of its objects, this invention resides in an apparatus for providing therapeutic electrical signals, said apparatus comprising: a signal generator for generating the therapeutic electrical signal; a plurality of sets of electrodes, each set of electrodes comprising at least two electrodes for applying the therapeutic electrical signal to a user; and a switching unit for selectively switching the therapeutic electrical signal to each set of electrodes in a predetermined pattern.
In a further aspect, the present invention resides in a method for providing therapeutic electrical signals, said method comprising the steps of: (a)generating a therapeutic electrical signal; (b) providing a plurality of sets of electrodes, each set of electrodes comprising at least two electrodes for applying the therapeutic electrical signal to a user; and (c) selectively switching the therapeutic electrical signal to each set of electrodes of the plurality of sets of electrodes in a predetermined pattern.
Accordingly, one advantage of the present invention is that a plurality of sets of electrodes are used to apply the therapeutic electrical signal. In this way, a large surface of the user can be treated at any one time without the need to move the apparatus over the user""s body. This makes it easier to apply the therapeutic electrical signal to the user. Furthermore, this makes it easier for the user to use the apparatus on themselves without an assistant.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrodes are arranged on a platform which permits electrodes to substantially conform to the surface of the user. This facilitates application of the therapeutic electrical signal to regions of the user""s body which are not generally flat. For example, this permits the platform to conform to variations in the user""s back, such as around the spine. This facilitates application of the therapeutic electrical signal to the lower back of the patient, such as along the acupuncture meridian, which may result in release of enkefalins by the body to relieve stress.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it comprises a plurality of sets of electrodes to which the therapeutic electrical signal is applied in a predetermined pattern. Accordingly, while a large number of electrodes are available to be used in order to cover a large surface area of the user, the therapeutic electrical signal is only applied to a set of electrodes at any one time. In this way, the therapeutic electrical signal may be applied to electrodes proximate each other, permitting the therapeutic electrical signal to have a smaller electrical potential than would be required if the electrodes were distant from each other. Furthermore, this permits the switch to apply the therapeutic electrical signals in a predetermined pattern to achieve the best coverage and therapeutic benefit to the user. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the switch will apply the therapeutic electrical signal to a next set of electrodes in the plurality of electrodes every 0.5 to 2 seconds in order to avoid habituative effects.
A still further advantage of the present invention is that the therapeutic electrical signals can be applied to the sets of electrodes in a predetermined pattern. In this way, the user can control how the therapeutic electrical signals are applied, including the area, duration and type of therapeutic signal. Preferably, the predetermined pattern will be selected so as to decrease the habituation effect. The predetermined pattern can also be selected to provide lingering beneficial effects that continue after the procedure is completed. This can result, for example, by selecting a predetermined pattern that promotes generation of endorphins that are retained in the body. Furthermore, when the therapeutic electrical signal is applied to the acupuncture meridian, the body may generate enkefalins which will relieve stress. In addition, by applying the therapeutic electrical signal in a predetermined pattern as opposed to a random pattern, the user can be ensured that the therapeutic electrical signal will not be applied to the same set of electrodes consecutively. Applying the therapeutic electrical signal to the same set of electrodes consecutively could result in overexposure of the therapeutic electrical signals to a particular region of the user""s body that may cause discomfort to the patient and/or promote habituation effects.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the therapeutic electrical signal can have characteristics which may decrease or eliminate pain while maintaining an effective therapeutic level. This is accomplished, in part, by the therapeutic electrical signal comprising a base wave having a relatively high frequency of about 150 KHz to 180 KHz and more preferably 160 to 170 KHz. The base wave is preferably applied about 2 to 100 times per second. In order to decrease pain that may be associated with the therapeutic electrical signals, the base wave of the therapeutic electrical signal preferably decreases from its maximum to its minimum in about 0.2 to 0.01 microseconds. In a further preferred embodiment, the integral of the base wave over a cycle is zero.
A still further advantage of the present invention is that the predetermined pattern may comprise different types of therapeutic electrical signals. In other words, the switching unit will selectively switch between different types of therapeutic electrical signals to each set of electrodes in a predetermined pattern. In this way, the patient will be exposed to different types of therapeutic electrical signals that may have different beneficial effects. In addition, by changing the types of therapeutic electrical signals being applied, the habituation effects may also decrease. In this way, changing the types of therapeutic electrical signals, as well as limiting the duration that the switch may apply the therapeutic electrical signal to each set of electrodes to about 0.5 to 2 seconds, reduces the effects of the brain filters thereby reducing habituation effects, and may cause lingering beneficial effects which continue after the therapy is completed.
Further aspects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and drawings which illustrate the invention and preferred embodiments of the invention.